Islamabad [Pakistan], December 20 (ANI): Experts have warned that Pakistan lacks the scientific, institutional and technical capacity required to monitor and respond to the growing threat posed by Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A (HPAI), as the virus continues to spread globally across wildlife, livestock and, in limited cases, humans, The Express Tribune reported.

The warning comes amid increasing global concern over HPAI H5 viruses, which have caused large-scale mortality in wild birds and mammals, raising serious One Health concerns that link animal health, environmental stability and human wellbeing.

According to The Express Tribune, citing the World Organisation for Animal Health, HPAI H5 viruses have spread across several continents since 2021, affecting a wide range of bird and mammal species.

During 2025, Europe recorded exceptionally high activity during the migratory season, with reported cases four times higher than in 2024. Germany alone reported the deaths of over 20,000 common cranes. The virus has also been detected in North America and parts of the South Atlantic, The Express Tribune reported.

Experts say such mass mortality events are disrupting breeding cycles, reducing wildlife populations and threatening long-term ecological balance. The increasing spillover into mammals has further heightened concerns over cross-species transmission.

In this context, the Head of the Department of Zoology at Pakistan's Punjab University, Zulfiqar Ali, described Pakistan's preparedness as alarming, noting that the country has no coordinated or adequately resourced system to monitor HPAI in wild birds and mammals, as reported by The Express Tribune.

Ali said that neither Pakistan's Ministry of Climate Change nor provincial wildlife and livestock departments possess specialised diagnostic laboratories, genomic sequencing facilities or trained wildlife health professionals. As a result, early detection, confirmation and reporting of wildlife diseases remain extremely limited.

He added that disease surveillance in Pakistan is mainly limited to the poultry sector, while data on wildlife health are almost absent, increasing the risk of disease transmission among wildlife, livestock, and humans.

Ali also pointed to the lack of standardised protocols for examining wildlife carcasses, insufficient biosafety measures for field staff and weak data-sharing mechanisms between federal and provincial institutions. These gaps, he said, prevent Pakistan from contributing effectively to regional and global HPAI monitoring efforts, according to The Express Tribune.

Highlighting Pakistan's geographical vulnerability, Ali said that the country lies along major migratory bird flyways and hosts ecologically important wetlands, river deltas and coastal ecosystems. Without a strong wildlife health framework, he warned, Pakistan faces serious threats to biodiversity, public health and the economy.

Former veterinary officer at Lahore Zoo, Dr Babar Saleem, said HPAI is spreading rapidly worldwide and poses major risks to wildlife, poultry and potentially humans and explained that migratory birds play a key role in carrying the virus across borders, while predatory birds and zoo animals are also highly vulnerable.

Dr Saleem warned that spillover into domestic poultry could result in devastating outbreaks, causing high mortality rates and disrupting food supply chains, leading to increased meat prices. He added that while human cases remain limited globally, recent detections in livestock have raised concerns about viral adaptation and pandemic potential, The Express Tribune reported.

He said there is currently no effective treatment or vaccine for HPAI, and that culling infected birds remains the primary method to contain outbreaks.

Experts stressed that without urgent investment in surveillance systems, diagnostic capacity and wildlife health governance, Pakistan will remain highly exposed to the growing global threat posed by HPAI. (ANI)